The present invention relates to vernier adjustors, and in particular to vernier adjustors for conveyor systems and other devices.
Conveyor systems are widely utilized in food and pharmaceutical processing, and typically include an endless belt trained around end rollers. The endless belt can lengthen over repeated uses, however, causing the belt to slip relative to one or both end rollers. Accordingly, belt tensioners are frequently used to take up slack in the endless belt. Take up can be accomplished by distancing the end rollers, or by adjusting the position of an idler pulley perpendicular to the path of travel of the endless belt.
Despite their widespread acceptance, known belt tensioners suffer from a number of shortcomings. For example, known belt tensioners can be difficult to clean, particularly as they accumulate particulate food and pharmaceutical products over time. These belt tensioners often include exposed threaded fasteners, blind holes, and gaps between metal surfaces that hide contaminants from view and that make cleaning the belt tensioner overly burdensome. In addition, known belt tensioners often provide adjustments in undesirably large increments, rendering the belt tensioners unsuitable for conveyor systems where precise tensioning of the endless belt is desired.